Introduction
On 15 August 2011, a Cessna 172S, registration LY-LSA, operated by a private individual, experienced an accident during landing at Tirkšliai aerodrome in the Mažeikiai district of Lithuania. The aircraft was owned by Hamilton Capital Ventures LLC. The accident resulted in substantial damage to the aircraft, but no injuries occurred.
Flight History
According to the pilot and owner, the aircraft landed on runway 253, a grass-covered gravel strip belonging to the Mažeikiai Aviation Sports Club. The landing appeared normal, but during the rollout, the pilot applied excessive pressure to the left brake pedal. The aircraft began an uncontrolled skid to the left, rotating more than 90 degrees from the landing direction, and departed the runway by approximately 7 meters. The nose wheel sank into soft, rain-soaked clay soil, causing the aircraft to stop abruptly.
Damage
The impact caused the nose wheel strut to fracture, the propeller to strike the ground and bend, and the lower engine cowling to be crushed. The nose gear attachment points shifted, deforming the firewall and the forward fuselage structure. The left and right main landing gear fairings were broken. No fire occurred.
Post-Accident Events
The pilot did not report the accident to any authority. The aircraft was roughly extracted from the mud, causing further damage. The registration marks were removed, and the aircraft was disassembled and transported to a hangar at Paluknis aerodrome, owned by UAB "Elsa." It was later prepared for repair. On 30 August 2011, an inspector from the Civil Aviation Administration discovered the aircraft by chance during an inspection of other aircraft. The inspector reported the finding, leading to an investigation.
Probable Cause
The investigation stated that the accident was caused by the pilot's inability to control the aircraft after landing on a grass-covered gravel strip, specifically due to improper braking technique on the wet surface.